


christmas trees are filled with sap

by indemnis



Series: neighbours!kihyunghyuk [4]
Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Boyfriends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Other, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 06:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17137070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indemnis/pseuds/indemnis
Summary: It's entirely Chae Hyungwon's fault for smashing out the big gifts during Valentine's Day, and now he has no clue what to get his two boyfriends as their Christmas-slash-anniversary gifts.





	christmas trees are filled with sap

**Author's Note:**

> for the OT3 square of kihyungwon bingo (this isn't cheating, right? i have a festive tradition for these three boyfriends and like. i get to also complete a square. this is allowed, right?)
> 
> apologies if this is completely and utterly rubbish. not my favourite work, un-betaed and not proofread, but take what you will. promise the next one'll get better (i hope)

Hyungwon is not that big of a believer of 'anniversaries'. They feel like birthdays, and when everything in this universe seems to come with an expiration date, he can't feel help but feel that an anniversary celebrating something joyous is just counting down the days of its definite demise.

Now, Minhyuk is a person with less consideration for the impending end of a great thing. He lives in the moment, a trait that Hyungwon has come to recognise and admire at an early stage. And Hyungwon, as it seems, is someone who can't really say no to someone like Minhyuk.

So maybe he lets him decorate the house, drapes the house in sparkly little fairy lights, and maybe he does appreciate the fragrance of lilies lingering in the air.

Kihyun, surprisingly, offers no opinions on the subject matter, and his reply is a pretty straightforward: "whatever makes you happy".

So now that they're most definitely celebrating this thing symbolising 365 days of their union, Hyungwon is at a bit of a loss. His method of trying to worm his way out of it by providing a philosophical (or seemingly philosophical) explanation to the transience of all things and the meaninglessness of anniversaries only attracted Minhyuk's scorn and Kihyun's pitying smile, neither of those things prompting Minhyuk's cancellation of the event.

He's at a loss because he's never had one of these things. They celebrate holidays, sure, like Christmas, Valentine's Day, and most recently Halloween, but anniversaries?

They _mean_ something, something that was given reason by the people who celebrate them, not just some abstract concept of a celebration that was passed on by generations before.

And presents. Oh God, Hyungwon is bad at presents. Just last Valentine’s he'd already bought them two giant stuffed bears.

(Maybe he shouldn't have smashed out on the big boss so early on, but it's too late for _that_ now.)

So he spends a good amount of time on the Internet googling 'good anniversary gifts that aren't tacky and hopefully a little Christmassy' and realises that really, there's nothing.

He has nothing. Hyungwon is devastated.

*****

“Hey sweetie,” Kihyun sidles up to him sneakily as they’re watching something on Netflix. Minhyuk looks like he’s about to fall into the flat screen, and Hyungwon is mostly having fun just watching him be so entranced.

“Hey.” Hyungwon pulls his arm from between them and winds it around Kihyun’s shoulder, dragging him in. He watches the show for a while more before he senses a gaze on his chin, and he looks down at the man.

“Do I have a zit or something?” He asks, tracing his jaw with his fingertips. Kihyun laughs and shakes his head, and cranes his neck in a way that can only strain it. Hyungwon leans down and prints his lips on his wordlessly, and when he pulls away, Kihyun smiles, reaching his eyes and making them shine.

“It’s interesting how you know I wanted a kiss without me saying anything,” Kihyun comments lightly, “are you psychic now, too, on top of being the most handsome man on Earth?”

Maybe his cheeks are a little hot, Hyungwon couldn’t say. “Don’t let Minhyuk hear you,” he whispers. He doesn’t tell Kihyun that he strains his neck muscles and practically pouts like he begs for kisses, and Hyungwon would be a fool to refuse him.

They stay silent for a while, Kihyun holding all of Hyungwon’s world in his gaze, and he feels his insides turn. It’s been months since they’ve been together and it confounds Hyungwon just how much deeper he falls with every breath Kihyun takes.

The purple-haired man sighs and wedges himself in the spaces that aren’t Hyungwon, the same way he did with all the blank space in Hyungwon’s heart, the spaces that Hyungwon had, for years, attempted to fill with meaningless relationships and work. A lot of work.

“This is good,” Kihyun says suddenly, and Hyungwon looks down at his purple locks, placing his cheek on his scalp. “I don’t think I’ve been this happy before, in my life.”

The line makes something rise up to his throat. He heaves, eyes watering, and when Kihyun looks up at him with those curious doe eyes, he feels something in him break.

“Hey. You okay?”

Minhyuk turns around immediately. Sensing the dip in atmosphere, he frowns when he sees Kihyun sitting back up straight in Hyungwon’s hold, brows furrowed.

Crawling over with a pillow squeezed between his thighs, Minhyuk plops himself in front of the both of them with his lips pressed. “What’s happening?”

Kihyun shrugs. The gall of him.

“I don’t know. I was just talking about how happy I am and then he just -- are you _crying_?” He sounds incredulous, but not everyone is Yoo-Kihyun-who-has-inactive-tear-ducts.

“No, I’m not!” Hyungwon sounds so defensive, and Minhyuk should be more concerned, but he just finds him funny, so he bursts into small fits of laughter.

Kihyun catches on, and he glances sideways, mindful of their reactions, and when Hyungwon’s tears bubble to form small chuckles, Kihyun laughs along with them.

Minhyuk reaches out to wipe Hyungwon’s tears away with his sleeve, and assumes his position on his other side. He pulls his arm out and throws it over his own shoulder.

They remain silent, Minhyuk staring at the images on the screen silently, Kihyun tidying and fussing of Hyungwon’s sweater for no reason.

Hyungwon doesn’t know what to say, just knows that there is a huge wave of what can only be affection growing from the pit of his stomach and into his chest, its branches spreading out into his limbs, flowing through his every nerve.

Guess they weren’t joking when they say that you love someone with every cell of your being.

“You okay?” Minhyuk asks suddenly, his eyes never leaving the telly, most probably to save what’s remaining of Hyungwon’s pride.

“Yeah,” he sniffles, and lets out a deafening sigh. “Just emotional. Kihyun said that he’s the happiest he’s ever been in his life. Because of us. Or this. Or something.”

He thinks Minhyuk pulls a face. “Dude, that’s sappy as hell.”

Kihyun struggles to escape from where he is to smack at Minhyuk, but Hyungwon pulls him back gently, the older man relenting almost immediately.

“Shut up. I’m just being honest. It’s fine if you don’t feel the same way.” He’s huffy, and Hyungwon smiles before poking Kihyun’s cheek, pulling him closer to himself.

Minhyuk slinks into Hyungwon’s torso, putting his arm around him so he can reach far enough to pinch Kihyun’s waist. It elicits a yelp, and he laughs, Hyungwon swatting his arm away so he can stop bothering Kihyun.

“I feel the same way of course.” And that’s the last of that conversation, because both Hyungwon and Kihyun understand Minhyuk’s embarrassment in verbal displays of affection, and they never hold it against it.

They can’t, not when Minhyuk smiles like the glow of a thousand suns, and they find their insides melting into a puddle at his feet. Damn, this is what it’s like to be whipped.

So Hyungwon and Kihyun make up for all the times Minhyuk struggles to voice his love and return it threefold, showers him with compliments and tells him of all the things he does that take their breaths away.

And it’s good, the way they fall into a balance, and Hyungwon pours and pours his heart out, and Kihyun and Minhyuk take and take and then more.

*****

The things about being boyfriends with your two neighbours is that it hardly feels like there's any privacy.

Hyungwon didn't think he had much of that to begin with, but with the unfolding of recent events, which included Hyungwon accidentally using Minhyuk's toothbrush in The Toothbrush Incident They Shall Never Speak of Again, the problem seems to confront him face on.

It happens to be a sort of revelation when Hyungwon is busy looking for something in his drawers and Kihyun sits there, cross-legged before the telly. “What are you looking for?”

“Matches. Minhyuk wants to light his candle.”

“The drawer next to the pots? It’s in the one second from the bottom.”

“The… pots?”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “Next to the cutlery.”

“Oh.”

And it’s no surprise that he finds it. Sure, it’s a little odd how Kihyun seems to know about his apartment more than he does, but he writes it off as Kihyun being the organised and disciplined person that he is.

The true epiphany is when Minhyuk turns up in his apartment yet again without an invitation, and by his feet is a basket of clothes in the middle of his living room.

“Uh,” Hyungwon blinks, pushing the pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose, “what’s this?”

“My laundry. I, uh, couldn’t find a single shirt in my apartment. Apparently it’s all here?” He points sheepishly to the basket and yells out in excitement at the rediscovery of his favourite shirt.

It was at that moment that Hyungwon started paying attention to the clues around him. How he finds Minhyuk’s whale plushie by the sofa, how he most definitely _does not_ use that brand of shampoo, but it’s somehow sitting there, and when he emerges from the shower he smells suspiciously like Kihyun.

Oh damn, Hyungwon realises, that he’s somehow not only built a figurative home for Minhyuk and Kihyun in himself, but that his own house is being infiltrated by the two.

He wouldn’t be surprised if Minhyuk returned to his apartment to find a thin sheen of dust over all of his belongings.

Call it a moment of enlightenment if you will, Hyungwon realises that his Christmas gift has been staring him in the face all along.

*****

“Where are we going? You know how I feel about surprises.”

“That they’re great and you love them?”

“Hyungwon --”

“Relax, please. It’ll be fine. You’ll like it. I promise.”

Kihyun is making unnecessary conversation again just to find out more about his ‘gift surprise’, and he’s not all that happy when Hyungwon coaxes him into his car, blindfolded and all.

He jumps at the touch of another person beside him, but immediately relaxes when he senses Minhyuk (and the telltale scent of his cologne). “Minhyuk?”

“Hey Ki.” He rubs his thumb into Kihyun’s forearm, which soothes the raven-haired man instantly. “You alright?”

“Nervous. Where’s he taking us?” And then, “how are you so calm?”

He hears his chuckle. “There’s no use fighting anyway. He’s adamant on not telling us anything, and you know I can be extremely persuasive.”

Kihyun laughs, because he knows exactly just how persuasive Minhyuk can be, indeed.

“I swear if he brings us to some ancient ghost house, I’m gonna cook his kidneys for dinner,” Kihyun threatens the minute he hears the door to the driver’s seat slam shut. “Now, now, there’s no need to resort to cannibalism.”

He can see the scowl on his face even without turning around. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to find out?”

Minhyuk chuckles. “This does sound very much like MasterChef Kihyun.” He seems to be thinking about something, and then adds, “probably would tell me to run an errand in his insistence on a certain brand of sauce.”

Hyungwon deadpans. “Stop encouraging him.”

“Maybe I will if you tell us where we’re going.”

Hyungwon sighs. The two men straighten up, waiting for him to share the details on their destination, only for Hyungwon to click his seatbelt on.

“Human kidneys are really not that tasty, boys.”

“Chae Hyungwon!”

“Just relax! I’m not going to sell you off or anything!”

“Great, now you’ve put the thought in Kihyun’s head and he’s gonna start thinking that he’ll become someone’s meal of the day.”

“Shut up, Minhyuk.”

“Try telling me you didn’t just think that.”

“...”

“I thought so.”

Hyungwon just shakes his head and mutters a “we’re going now” before putting the car into gear, the engine rumbling as they begin their journey.

*****

Turns out that it’s more trouble getting them out of the car than into it. Hyungwon has to ferry them one by one, because dealing with one paranoid and sight-deprived boyfriend is more than enough for him to handle at any one time.

When they’ve finally reached the lobby, Hyungwon has to hold onto the both of them tightly as he enters the lift. They’re still talking about the possibility of being sold off to a cartel, and Hyungwon can’t help but reconsider his gift if this is what he has to deal with.

The lift dings as they reach their floor, and they begin this awkward shuffle as Minhyuk and Kihyun are terrified of their surroundings and take the tiniest steps forward, Hyungwon tugging onto the both of them impatiently.

“Come on,” he urges, rolling his eyes as he does.

“Well, sorry that I’m literally deprived of my sight and am terrified of falling off a ledge and to my certain death,” Kihyun spits, snarky and sarcastic, and Hyungwon rolls his eyes again.

Always one for the melodrama, Yoo Kihyun.

“Death is not really a gift option at this stage, Kihyun. Come on, it’s just flat ground. I’ll tell you if there’re steps.”

Minhyuk seems to be a little more daring at the sound of that, taking larger strides, and Hyungwon sighs in relief.

They finally reach their destination and Hyungwon has to shake their arms off to fish the key from his pocket, Kihyun flailing about in an attempt to find his bearings in the form of Hyungwon’s arm.

“We’re here, we’re here. Jesus, this is harder than graduating from university,” he mumbles, and brings the both of them in, across the thresholds of the doorway and into the huge, empty room.

“Can we take off our blindfolds already?” Minhyuk asks, ever the hurried one, and when Hyungwon says yes, his fingers unravel the knot at the speed of light, the fabric falling from his eyes.

In a squint, he adjusts his sight to the sudden influx of light, and he frowns a little at the presence of an unfurnished apartment.

“Wha --” Kihyun seems to share his confusion, the two of them looking at each other, and then at Hyungwon, who just shrugs, and pulls two gift boxes from his back pockets.

“One for the each of you, so you don’t fight.”

Minhyuk pouts. They’re not children.

He says that, but he pulls at the ribbon holding the box shut, and when he opens it eagerly, he’s just as confused as he was before at the sight of a key.

Not even like a fancy one with nice handles, just a key that looks uncharacteristically like the one he has for his own apartment.

Hang on.

He glances up at Hyungwon, and the taller man has his lips pressed together, fingers tangled in front of him. He looks so nervous.

The blonde stares back down at the key, and then at Hyungwon, and then at Kihyun, who’s now picked out an identical key from the box and is staring at it with some degree of bewilderment.

“Is this --”

“This is where we’ll be from now on.” He visibly gulps as he spreads his arms, gesturing to the apartment. “Together.”

Kihyun blinks a few times. “Are you… is this… are you suggesting that we cohabit?”

Hyungwon inhales deeply. “I mean, we practically do already, but I figured we could use the space, there’ll be plenty of room for Minhyuk’s easel and art supplies, and we can make one of them a photography corner with a green screen. I just thought it’s better than my crappy tiny apartment, and I know we’ve had a lot of memories there together, but --”

“I love it,” Minhyuk says quietly, still looking at the key in his hand, and Kihyun nods. “Me too.”

He seems almost surprised. “You do?”

The both of them nod, and Hyungwon seems to gain his confidence as he breaks into a stunning smile, his lips pulled widely. There is a warmth in his core, spreading and rising in temperature, and he releases the stress that was building up in his shoulders.  

“Can I take a look around?” Kihyun asks, and it isn’t like him to question his own actions, but Hyungwon grins and nods. “Of course, baby. Feel free to.”

Kihyun waddles off to explore the new place with stars in his eyes, and Hyungwon expects Minhyuk to follow suit. Instead, the blonde lingers around like he has something to say.

“Minhyuk?”

“Did you decide to gift us the apartment because of The Toothbrush Incident We Shall Never Speak of Again?”

Hyungwon guffaws. “You really think I’ll go put down a deposit for an apartment because I used your toothbrush that one time?”

Minhyuk shrugs.

“We had a long lecture from Professor Chae about hygiene and privacy, so this would be the last thing I would’ve expected you to do.” Minhyuk spins around in the large, empty space to regard Hyungwon with suspicion, but it’s obvious he finds it endearing somehow.

“Eh,” Hyungwon says, shrugging, throwing his hands up in an act of resignation, “and I believe that the people who define love or whatever it is the hell they do also said that there is no truer love than sacrifice, so here we are.”

His eyes closed, Hyungwon opens his arms and tilts his chin upwards, as if moving into an apartment with his two boyfriends is some holy act of altruism.

What he doesn’t expect, however, is when a tuft of hair finds its way beneath his chin, and Minhyuk’s EDT fragrance engulfs him and drowns him whole.

The brunette throws his eyelids open, and Minhyuk is nestled right by the crook of his neck, arms coming around him in a tight hug. “Hyungwonnie. Thank you. I love it.”

And Hyungwon doesn’t have anything smart to say, so he puts his arms around him and pulls him as tight to him as he can, kissing the top of his head gently.

“You’re very welcome, my love.”

Kihyun takes the exact moment to walk back into the living room, and he looks so overwhelmed. The sight of his two boyfriends hugging it out in their new, huge apartment seems to make something in him tick, and the ends of his lips start to pull down.

“Oh, for God’s sake, you’re going to make me cry.”

Hyungwon’s smile is small, but he can’t get it to leave his face. “That was basically like, half of my goal.” He stretches out another arm as an invitation for Kihyun, at which the older man walks over and into his embrace without a single beat of hesitation.

Kihyun raises his brow. “What was the other half?” His eyes are huge with curiosity, and Hyungwon likes to think of him of a huge ball of fairy floss. He wants nothing more than to nibble on him and taste the sweetness on and under his tongue.

“Well, to make you two happy.” Kihyun’s expression changes, morphs into something so tender Hyungwon has trouble describing it, and he grins so wide he feels his face peeling off.

“Wow. You are _so_ sappy,” Minhyuk comments lightly, but he feels so airy, like he might float away, and so he clings on tighter to Hyungwon, presses his body close to his and anchors himself. That’s where they are now, at home, in their home, where they belong.

“And you’re such a sucker for sappyness,” Minhyuk states, pointing at Kihyun non-too-politely, at which the purple-haired man flicks at his wrist with an aggrieved look on his face. He still has all that gentleness swimming in his eyes, though, and Hyungwon bends down to place kisses on both of their noses, Kihyun scrunching his nose up and Minhyuk giggling.

“Merry Christmas, my loves,” he whispers, voice smaller than a fly’s, and when they both look up at him and kiss him on either sides of his cheeks, Hyungwon feels deeply reminiscent of their first kiss under the mistletoe, the one that sparked his freak-out in the bathroom.

Look at where they are now, a year older, a year filled with laughter and banter and equal parts of arguments and tears, and Hyungwon couldn’t and wouldn’t ask for anything more than this.

Than them.

“Happy one year anniversary, you two.”

**Author's Note:**

> twt: jookination
> 
> kudos and comments are much appreciated!


End file.
